Chiefs’ Playoff Hopes Are Slim - But Not Gone, Even After Mahomes’ Worst Game Yet
Let’s be clear: the Kansas City Chiefs are still technically alive in the playoff race. But after Sunday night’s loss to the Houston Texans, you'd be forgiven for wondering if this team even belongs in the conversation. For a franchise that’s set the bar at Super Bowl or bust in the Patrick Mahomes era, just staying afloat in the postseason picture feels foreign-and frustrating.
This season has been unlike any other since Mahomes took over under center. The Chiefs have built their dynasty on late-game magic, unshakable confidence, and a knack for rising to the moment.
But in 2025, that spark has been flickering. Instead of being the team that makes the clutch play, they’ve been the ones watching it happen to them.
Sunday night’s performance at Arrowhead was a snapshot of that struggle. Penalties piled up.
Injuries continued to chip away at the roster. And Mahomes-usually the steady hand in chaos-had what was, by all accounts, the worst game of his professional career.
It was jarring to watch. The third quarter offered a glimmer of the old Chiefs, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the broader issues that have plagued them all season.
The frustration isn’t just coming from fans. Former Chiefs offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, now an analyst with SiriusXM, weighed in with a strong message: the offense needs a shake-up, and it needs to come from the top.
“Andy Reid has to make staff changes on offense this offseason,” Schwartz posted on social media. “If he doesn’t, he will be fired (or retire). Not that complicated.”
That kind of blunt assessment hits differently when it comes from someone who’s been inside the building. But Schwartz also made it clear that the idea of moving on from Reid entirely is, in his words, “the dumbest thing ever.”
And honestly, he’s not wrong. Reid has led the Chiefs to five Super Bowl appearances in six seasons.
That kind of track record earns you more than one mulligan. Schwartz argued Reid deserves the chance to fix this offense in the offseason-and if he can’t, then maybe the conversation changes down the line.
But calling for his job now? That’s emotional, not logical.
This season has been weird. That’s the best way to describe it.
The offense hasn’t clicked. The injuries have mounted.
The penalties have been killers. And Mahomes, for all his brilliance, hasn’t been able to carry this version of the team the way he has in the past.
But here’s the thing: there’s still a chance. However slim, however improbable-it exists.
And as long as Mahomes is under center and Reid is on the sideline, you can’t completely count this team out. They’ve earned that benefit of the doubt.
So no, the Chiefs don’t look like a playoff team right now. But if they can find even a spark of their old identity, if they can clean up the mistakes and get a little healthier down the stretch, the door isn’t shut just yet.
It’s barely open-but it’s open.